Good Morning! We are looking forward to an exciting week, full of "mini" family reunions and lots of time to make new memories.
Today we are heading to Pigeon Forge, TN. We have graciously been offered the use of a cabin there for the next 3 nights. We are so excited to have a place that our whole family and fit into, with beds for everyone and just the opportunity to have this time to be together. We are looking forward to Mandie's husband Mike arriving tomorrow, and then Lexi and her fiance Jonathan are suppose to arrive Wednesday afternoon.
On Thursday we will move over to a hotel in Knoxville. That evening will be the rehearsal and dinner for the wedding, and then of course the big day is Friday.
Thank you for your prayers for us during these days.
Last night, Tony presented our work and preached at a church in Selma, TN. We received an email from Ecuador, expressing their excitement at our upcoming return. They reported that they had 71 in church yesterday. So new people have committed to get involved in the Children's Ministry. We are very thankful for that.
Please continue to pray for the work there in Manta.
God Bless you as you follow him this week!
Joy
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Snap Shots from our Family Album...
This picture was taken last month, when were had the opportunity to visit some of our friends and churches in Florida. Isn't it neat how the Lord goes way beyond just meeting our "needs" and blesses us with so much more! We certainly didn't "need" to go to Disney World, yet what a neat blessing and a very special memory for Teddy!
We have had many, many such special blessings this furlough! God continues to just amaze us with his blessings.
Here we are on Mother's Day in Springfield, MO. What a joy to be able to be with Ashley, Lexi and Teddy along with our future "sons", Shane and Jonathan! Probably the best gift I received that day, was the "surprise" arrival of Lexi and Jonathan!
What a special time to be able to be with Ashley on her graduation from Baptist Bible College! She has worked so hard for this day, and we are so very proud of her! We were able to share the day with my parents, Shane and his parents, dear friends, Scott and Rebecca Carlson, and Ashley's "Uncle" Jim and "Aunt" Sharon Smith from Ecuador!
May 25, in the afternoon, I had the special treat of attending a Bridal Shower for Ashley, hosted by Shane's family! For a Mom who is usually a continent away, this was an unexpected pleasure.
Another "treat" for Teddy was getting to visit Superman's "hometown" of Metropolis! How many of you can say that you have been to Metropolis?! What fun to be a little boy! :-)
On June 5, we were able to welcome our daughter, Mandie and our grandson, Ioan, to the the US! This was the first time Tony had seen Ioan! What an incredible blessing it has been to have these last days with them! I have to admit that one of our favorite roles from now on will be that of "Nana and Papa"!
It has been such a great blessing to travel around the US and be able to visit with many of you! Thank you so much for your prayers for us, for our family and for the ministry God has given us in Manta!
Joy
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Nana and Papa...
Tony and I are enjoying this new role in our life. It has been such fun getting to know our grandson. What a sweetie he is! We have also enjoyed having time with Mandie and Ashley.
This week we were at the Faith Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio. We have enjoyed a great Sunday. This morning, we were in the Singles class and the Teens. Then we were in the beginning of the worship service, and after Tony introduced our DVD and we showed that, we headed to the Children's Church. We really enjoyed each opportunity to share about Ecuador and our ministry. This evening Tony shared a short testimony.
Tomorrow we will be heading over to Lancaster County, PA and will be visiting some really special friends. ( I know I say that all the time, but they are all pretty special! :-) ) Next Sunday we will be in two churches in NJ.
Thank you for your prayers for Mandie and Ioan as they traveled. Everything went very well with their trip. Please continue to pray for us as we make these last trips. Pray for Mike as he finishes up in Korea. He will be traveling to the US on June 21st.
Please continue to pray for the work in Manta. They have found another apartment and terrace that they will be moving into this week. It is close to where we have been meeting, so that is an answer to prayer. They wrote that they had 92 last week, with several visitors and 89 this morning. Also Cecila wrote earlier this week, that 3 of her sisters accepted Christ as their Savior! What a blessing!
God bless you as you serve Him this week!
Joy
This week we were at the Faith Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio. We have enjoyed a great Sunday. This morning, we were in the Singles class and the Teens. Then we were in the beginning of the worship service, and after Tony introduced our DVD and we showed that, we headed to the Children's Church. We really enjoyed each opportunity to share about Ecuador and our ministry. This evening Tony shared a short testimony.
Tomorrow we will be heading over to Lancaster County, PA and will be visiting some really special friends. ( I know I say that all the time, but they are all pretty special! :-) ) Next Sunday we will be in two churches in NJ.
Thank you for your prayers for Mandie and Ioan as they traveled. Everything went very well with their trip. Please continue to pray for us as we make these last trips. Pray for Mike as he finishes up in Korea. He will be traveling to the US on June 21st.
Please continue to pray for the work in Manta. They have found another apartment and terrace that they will be moving into this week. It is close to where we have been meeting, so that is an answer to prayer. They wrote that they had 92 last week, with several visitors and 89 this morning. Also Cecila wrote earlier this week, that 3 of her sisters accepted Christ as their Savior! What a blessing!
God bless you as you serve Him this week!
Joy
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Another week...
We had a week "off", this past Sunday. It was nice to go to church and just be there to worship and praise the Lord with everyone else. Since we didn't have any commitments we drove over to Knoxville on Saturday, and spent the afternoon and evening with our family there. It was good to have time with them. Sunday morning, we went to Southside Baptist Church, and then in the evening we visited Victory Baptist Church in Maryville.
Today we celebrated a special event in our family. This was Teddy's "Welcome to our Family" day. It is hard to believe that he has already been with us 5 years! He is growing up and has definitely become a very special part of our family. We are so thankful to the Lord for blessing us with him! He was asking us today if grown-ups had a "Welcome to our Family" day... he had noticed that no one else in our family got to celebrate this special day. So we talked a little bit about adoption again, how he didn't join our family on his birthday, and that he was special. Later he was telling his grandpa that he got to celebrate "welcome to our family day", because he wasn't born on his birthday! LOL I don't think we have it all figured out just yet, but it will come.
Please continue to pray for our church in Manta. They are in the process of relocating to another apartment. Pray that the people will remain faithful and not get discouraged by all the testing they have gone through.
Pray for Zonia, the doctors have said, she is in the last stages of cancer. We know that only God can heal her, if that is his will.
Pray for Mandie and Ioan as they fly to the US. They will be leaving Korea around 10:00pm EST, Wednesday and arriving in Atlanta, about 11:00am EST on Thursday. Pray for safety and a good flight. Pray that Ioan can sleep on the plane, that there is an empty seat next to Mandie.
Pray for Mike, as he finishes up in Korea and gets ready to come to the US later in the month.
Pray for Ashley and Shane as their wedding is approaching soon.
Pray for Lexi, she is now working 2 jobs, and also making plans for her wedding in January.
Have a wonderful week, serving the Lord!
Joy
Today we celebrated a special event in our family. This was Teddy's "Welcome to our Family" day. It is hard to believe that he has already been with us 5 years! He is growing up and has definitely become a very special part of our family. We are so thankful to the Lord for blessing us with him! He was asking us today if grown-ups had a "Welcome to our Family" day... he had noticed that no one else in our family got to celebrate this special day. So we talked a little bit about adoption again, how he didn't join our family on his birthday, and that he was special. Later he was telling his grandpa that he got to celebrate "welcome to our family day", because he wasn't born on his birthday! LOL I don't think we have it all figured out just yet, but it will come.
Please continue to pray for our church in Manta. They are in the process of relocating to another apartment. Pray that the people will remain faithful and not get discouraged by all the testing they have gone through.
Pray for Zonia, the doctors have said, she is in the last stages of cancer. We know that only God can heal her, if that is his will.
Pray for Mandie and Ioan as they fly to the US. They will be leaving Korea around 10:00pm EST, Wednesday and arriving in Atlanta, about 11:00am EST on Thursday. Pray for safety and a good flight. Pray that Ioan can sleep on the plane, that there is an empty seat next to Mandie.
Pray for Mike, as he finishes up in Korea and gets ready to come to the US later in the month.
Pray for Ashley and Shane as their wedding is approaching soon.
Pray for Lexi, she is now working 2 jobs, and also making plans for her wedding in January.
Have a wonderful week, serving the Lord!
Joy
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